How do you know if you have an outer ear infection?

Outer ear infections usually begin with mild itching and a feeling of discomfort. This can progress rapidly resulting in severe pain, swelling of the ear canal and blockage. Sometimes there can be discharge which can have a pungent sweet odour. If untreated it can spread to involve the pinna and cheek.

How do you know if you have a middle ear infection?
A middle ear infection can be extremely painful as the ear drum distends and sometimes ruptures with subsequent discharge. Once the ear discharges the pain is usually much improved Some children may become unsettled, especially during the night and often wake pulling and banging at their ears. Often the infection occurs in association with a cold and fever.

Nasal injuries are very common in young adults and children. The nose has a very good blood supply and there is often bleeding after an injury both from the nasal cavities and into the soft tissues around the nose making the nose very swollen and bruised.

The most important thing to exclude after nasal trauma is a septal haematoma (blood clot in the nasal septum - the partition that separates the 2 halves of the nose). In the event this has occurred then urgent treatment is required to prevent infection that can cause an abscess and destroy the cartilage support of the septum. The infection can also be serious.

How do you know if your nose is broken/fractured?

Symptoms include a very blocked nose which is very tender to touch particularly at the nasal tip. If you look inside the nose this is the appearance of a septal haematoma.

Tonsillitis is a bacterial infection of the tonsils usually caused by the Streptococcus bacteria.

Classically, tonsillitis presents with a progressive sore throat, fever, enlarged neck nodes and feeling unwell. The tonsils appear red and swollen and often have a white exudate.

Some patients can become so unwell that they are unable to eat and drink and may require hospital admission

In adolescents and young adults the first episode of tonsillitis often occurs in association with glandular fever.

Sudden hearing loss usually presents with a feeling of fullness around the ear and blockage similar to the sensation of not being able to clear your ear after a flight. Sometimes there can be associated noise in the ear (tinnitus) like a ringing or a hum.

Patients and doctors sometimes confuse the blocked feeling with a build up of wax or fluid in the middle ear and as a result patients may present late to a specialist. Early recognition of symptoms and diagnosis is essential if treatment is to be considered as this is less likely to be effective more than 3-4 weeks after the onset of symptoms.